About every 3 months, bring your stump grinder in for a service,
checkup and tuning. Northland Chipper Sales Ltd. services most
makes of stump grinders. Contact
us for details.

I
am looking for a used stump grinder, but I am having trouble locating
one. What can I do?

Mr
Chips: used stump grinders are hard to find. Most people
love their machines and hang on to them. We have a waiting list
of buyers who we notify when used stump grinders come on the market.

Currently the exchange rate has made the prices
for new machines more attractive for a new stump grinder. Check
out the Bandit models on our web site.

It is important to think about how much you might be saving when
you buy a used stump grinder. You could save maybe 3-4K Cdn $ on
a handlebar machine. But a used stump grinder has no warranty,
as opposed to a new one.

Also consider the costs of lost opportunities.
The months you spend waiting for a used stump grinder would more
than outweigh the savings you are trying for.

Rather than the cost of the machine, think about how much
you will be earning. The business of stump grinding can
be very lucrative, so the sooner you get a stump grinder and get
busy, the more money you will make.

Has
anyone developed something to control the danger of flying debris,
especially rocks?

Mr
Chips: As always, the first thing is a wise operator that
knows his machine and can recognize the potential danger. The next
is to work in such a way to minimize that danger. The third is protection.

I suggest that you get a couple of sheets of 3/8" to 1/2"
plywood, cut them in half so you have 4 pieces 4' by 4' then put
hinges in the middle so that you are back to 2 sheets of plywood
with a hinge in the middle. These can be placed relatively close
to the cutter to contain the debris or they can be placed to protect
something vulnerable. I suggest that you professionally paint your
name and phone no. on these screens so passers by and neighbors
can contact you.

If it is windy where you work you may have to make some provision
to anchor the screens.

Finally, maintain a clean safe work site. If you keep the chips
cleared away from under the machine, the chips themselves can help
form a barrier.

I
recently changed the engine on my stump grinder, with one that runs
faster than the old one. Now it keeps breaking teeth. What can I do?

Mr
Chips: the increased speed is likely the cause of the problem
as you described. Mr Chips recommends you change the pulleys to
compensate for the difference in speed. The dealer who sold you
the engine can probably supply you with replacement pulleys, and
install them if needed.

If you still get more than the usual number of broken teeth, Mr
Chips would also suggest you check with your supplier in case there
is a problem with the teeth. If that is the case, you should expect
to get the defective teeth replaced at no charge.

Can
you sharpen stumper teeth? and how many times?

Mr Chips:
Yes you should be able to to sharpen stumper teeth. You will need
a reasonably powerful bench grinder say 1/2 hp or more. Machine
shop supply stores sell a diamond wheel that
is FAR superior to the green wheel. There is drastically less dust
generated when sharpening and the teeth sharpen much faster and
cleaner.
Even though the wheel costs about $250, it will last a lifetime

As always care must be taken to work safely
and
please read and obey the safety instructions that come with your
tools.

Your judgment will soon tell you how many times
but I expect it will be once. <---
Smart pockets

You may want to consider switching to "smart
pockets" or even "standard stump grinder pockets"
and standard 1/2" teeth if tooth cost is hurting. Sometimes
there is a cost saving benefit to be had by using the less expensive
combination. That is, to ware out the carbide on a much less expensive
tooth. There should be no reduction in performance because the carbide
tip is the same.